[unreadable] [unreadable] This application describes a plan to create a major, integrated research training program in cardiovascular research at the New England Medical Center (NEMC) and Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM). Over the past nine years, enormous growth in the training resources for cardiovascular biology has occurred at our Institution. Six elements are integrated in this proposal to create a training experience highly responsive to the NHLBI areas of focus for such programs, emphasizing multidisciplinary training, and collaborative research opportunities. These six elements include the existing NEMC-TUSM research environment, the Molecular Cardiology Research Institute, the Cardiology Division of the Department of Medicine, the NHLBI-funded SCOR in Ischemic Heart Disease, the highly developed emphasis and resources for training at NEMC-TUSM, and the extensive existing collaborative interactions between NEMC and TUSM Departments. The commitment of the Institution to training Cardiovascular research investigators is clear and strong. This program will train 3 postdoctoral M.D. and/or Ph.D. fellows per year for 3 years (reaching a stasis of 9 trainees/year in years 3-5) in either (a) basic cellular and molecular research in the cardiovascular system, or (b) translational cardiovascular research. Tremendous growth in basic and translational research, with arrival of new, independent scientists in cardiovascular biology, has occurred at NEMC and TUSM in the past eight years. Enormous local and national interest in cardiovascular training opportunities have arisen at NEMC-TUSM during this time. Thus, there is an enormous training opportunity at present, but a carefully structured cardiovascular research training program [unreadable] does not exist. The program proposed here is multidisciplinary, exposes trainees to collaborative research, and places a major emphasis on mentoring. Furthermore, it places a high priority on translational cardiovascular research and incorporates several unique approaches to ensuring adequate representation of diversity. This Training Program in Cardiovascular Research is exemplary of the approach that the NHLBI seeks to develop to train the next generation of cardiovascular scientists. (End of Abstract) [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]